fix: objects in config files

Author: e3rd

docs/Changelog.md

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## 1.1.1
 * enh: `list[tuple]` support (along with `list[tuple[int]]` and `list[tuple[int, ...]]`)
+* fix: objects in config files
 
 ## 1.1.0 (2025-09-12)
 * CHANGED – some [`run`][mininterface.run] arguments are no longer positional and can only be passed as keyword arguments

mininterface/_lib/auxiliary.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from dataclasses import fields, is_dataclass
 from functools import lru_cache
 from types import UnionType
-from typing import (Any, Callable, Iterable, Optional, TypeVar, Union,
+from typing import (Any, Callable, Iterable, Optional, TypeVar, Union, Literal,
                     get_args, get_origin, get_type_hints)
 
 from annotated_types import Ge, Gt, Le, Len, Lt, MultipleOf
@@ -90,8 +90,7 @@ def get_description(obj, param: str) -> str:
     if p := _get_parser(obj):
         try:
             d = get_descriptions(p)[param].strip()
-        except KeyError:
-            logger.warning("Cannot fetch description for '%s'", param)
+        except KeyError:  # either fetching failed or user added no description
             return ""
         else:
             if d.replace("-", "_") == param:
@@ -192,6 +191,8 @@ def matches_annotation(value, annotation) -> bool:
 
     # generics, ex. list, tuple
     origin = get_origin(annotation)
+    if origin is Literal:
+        return value in get_args(annotation)
     if origin:
         if not isinstance(value, origin):
             return False

mininterface/_lib/dataclass_creation.py

@@ -74,7 +74,10 @@ def coerce_type_to_annotation(value, annotation):
         }
 
     # For nested dataclass or BaseModel etc.
-    return value
+    try:  # ex. `Path(value)`
+        return annotation(value)
+    except Exception:
+        return value
 
 
 def _get_wrong_field(

mininterface/tag/flag.py

@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def _assure_blank_or_bool(args):
 
 _custom_registry = ConstructorRegistry()
 
-Blank = Annotated[T | None, None]
+Blank = Annotated[T | bool | None, None]
 """
 This marker specifies:
 
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class Env:
 $ program.py  --test 5 # 5
 ```
 
-The default blank value might be specified by a `Literal` in the `Annotated` statement.
+The default blank value might be specified by a `Literal` present in the `Annotated` statement.
 
 ```python
 @dataclass
@@ -188,14 +188,15 @@ class Env:
 
 
 !!! Warning
-    Experimental.
+    Experimental. It adds `bool` as a valid type too.
 
     ??? Discussion
         The design is working but syntax `Annotated[str, Blank(True)]` might be a cleaner design. Do you have an opinion? Let us know.
     """
 
 # NOTE untested
 # NOTE Should we move rather to mininterface.cli?
+# NOTE Now it adds `bool` too. Otherwise we could not set the value to True.
 
 # NOTE Python 3.13 would allow
 # type Blank[T, U = None] = Optional[T]
@@ -211,7 +212,7 @@ class Env:
 
     class _Blank(_Marker):
         def __getitem__(self, key):
-            return Annotated[(key | None, self)]
+            return Annotated[(key | bool | None, self)]
 
         def __init__(self, description: str):
             self.description = description
@@ -256,12 +257,14 @@ def _(
         if len(types) == 1:
             metavar = getattr(type_, "__name__", repr(type_))
         else:
-            metavar = "|".join(getattr(s, "__name__", repr(s)) for s in types if s is not NoneType)
+            # NOTE we now suppress bool even if user `Blank[str|bool]` explicitely set it
+            metavar = "|".join(getattr(s, "__name__", repr(s)) for s in types if s not in (NoneType, bool))
 
         def instance_from_str(args):
             if not args:
                 return default_val
             val = args[0]
+            # NOTE bool is now always in types
             if bool in types:
                 if val == "True":
                     return True

pyproject.toml

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "poetry.core.masonry.api"
 
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "mininterface"
-version = "1.1.0"
+version = "1.1.1"
 description = "A minimal access to GUI, TUI, CLI and config"
 authors = ["Edvard Rejthar <[email protected]>"]
 license = "LGPL-3.0-or-later"

tests/test_flag.py

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ class Env:
     t2: Blank[int] = None
     t3: Annotated[Blank[int], Literal[3]] = None
     t4: Annotated[Blank[int | bool], Literal[3]] = 2
+    t5: Blank[int | Literal["foo"]] = None
 
 
 class TestFlag(TestAbstract):
@@ -20,10 +21,11 @@ def test_flag(self):
             (
                 {
                     "": {
-                        "t1": Tag(val=MISSING, description="", annotation=int | None, label="t1"),
-                        "t2": Tag(val=None, description="", annotation=int | None, label="t2"),
-                        "t3": Tag(val=None, description="", annotation=int | None, label="t3"),
+                        "t1": Tag(val=MISSING, description="", annotation=int | bool | None, label="t1"),
+                        "t2": Tag(val=None, description="", annotation=int | bool | None, label="t2"),
+                        "t3": Tag(val=None, description="", annotation=int | bool | None, label="t3"),
                         "t4": Tag(val=2, description="", annotation=int | bool | None, label="t4"),
+                        "t5": Tag(val=None, description="", annotation=int | bool | Literal["foo"] | None, label="t5"),
                     }
                 },
                 {"": {"t1": None}},
@@ -34,20 +36,40 @@ def test_flag(self):
         def r(*args):
             return asdict(runm(Env, args=args).env)
 
-        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 1, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": 2}, r("--t1", "1"))
-        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 1, "t2": 3, "t3": None, "t4": 2}, r("--t1", "1", "--t2", "3"))
-        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 1, "t2": True, "t3": 3, "t4": 3}, r("--t1", "1", "--t2", "--t3", "--t4"))
-        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 10, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": False}, r("--t1", "10", "--t4", "False"))
-        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 10, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": True}, r("--t1", "10", "--t4", "True"))
-        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 10, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": 44}, r("--t1", "10", "--t4", "44"))
+        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 1, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": 2, "t5": None}, r("--t1", "1"))
+        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 1, "t2": 3, "t3": None, "t4": 2, "t5": None}, r("--t1", "1", "--t2", "3"))
+        self.assertDictEqual(
+            {"t1": 1, "t2": True, "t3": 3, "t4": 3, "t5": True}, r("--t1", "1", "--t2", "--t3", "--t4" ,"--t5")
+        )
+        self.assertDictEqual(
+            {"t1": 10, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": False, "t5": None}, r("--t1", "10", "--t4", "False")
+        )
+        self.assertDictEqual(
+            {"t1": 10, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": True, "t5": 100}, r("--t1", "10", "--t5", "100", "--t4", "True")
+        )
+        self.assertDictEqual({"t1": 10, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": 44, "t5": None}, r("--t1", "10", "--t4", "44"))
 
 
+        # NOTE this should work too, Literals now canot be constructed
+        # self.assertDictEqual(
+        #     {"t1": 10, "t2": None, "t3": None, "t4": False, "t5": "foo"}, r("--t1", "10", "--t4", "False", "--t5", "foo")
+        # )
+
+        with self.assertStderr(contains="Error parsing --t5"), self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+            # NOTE this might rather raise a wrong field dialog
+            r("--t1", "10", "--t5", "invalid")
+
         with (
-                self.assertOutputs(contains=["--t1 [int]             (required)",
-                "--t2 [int]             (default: 'None / or if left blank: True') ",
-                "--t3 [int]             (default: 'None / or if left blank: 3')",
-                "--t4 [int|bool]        (default: '2 / or if left blank: 3')"
-                ]),
-                self.assertRaises(SystemExit),
-            ):
+            self.assertOutputs(
+                contains=[
+                    "--t1 [int]              (required)",
+                    "--t2 [int]              (default: 'None / or if left blank: True') ",
+                    "--t3 [int]              (default: 'None / or if left blank: 3')",
+                    "--t4 [int]              (default: '2 / or if left blank: 3')",
+                    "--t5 [int|Literal]      (default: 'None / or if left blank: True')",
+                ]
+            ),
+            # NOTE t5 should display the mere Literal value
+            self.assertRaises(SystemExit),
+        ):
             runm(Env, args=["--help"])

tests/test_run.py

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from tempfile import NamedTemporaryFile
 from unittest import skipUnless
 from mininterface import Mininterface
 from mininterface._lib.config_file import _merge_settings
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@
     MissingPositional,
     MissingPositionalScalar,
     MissingUnderscore,
+    ParametrizedGeneric,
     SimpleEnv,
 )
 from dumb_settings import (
@@ -220,6 +222,17 @@ def test_complex_config(self):
         )
         self.assertEqual(pattern, runm(ComplexEnv, config_file="tests/complex.yaml").env)
 
+    def test_object_config(self):
+        with NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False, mode="w", encoding="utf-8") as tmp:
+            tmp.write("""paths:
+        - /tmp
+        - /var/log/syslog
+        """)
+            tmp.flush()
+            env = runm(ParametrizedGeneric, config_file=tmp.name).env
+            self.assertEqual(ParametrizedGeneric(paths=[Path('/tmp'), Path('/var/log/syslog')]), env)
+
+
     def test_run_annotated(self):
         m = run(FlagConversionOff[OmitArgPrefixes[SimpleEnv]])
         self.assertEqual(4, m.env.important_number)